The former president of the Michigan Charter Boat Association, Captain Denny Grinold, received the Michigan Boating Industries Association (MBIA) Ray L. Underwood Lifetime Achievement Award at the Recreational Boating Educational Conference Awards Dinner in December 2019. At the same event, Patti Smith of Silver Spray Sports in Fenton, Michigan, was inducted into the MBIA Hall of Fame.
“Denny has spent a lifetime tirelessly advocating for fishing, boating and tourism in Michigan and has been recognized by many,” says MBIA Executive Director Nicki Polan. “His list of accomplishments is long, and we are grateful for his advocacy on important legislative issues and his innovations and partnership building, which have brought us promotions like the “Catch and Cook” program in Michigan.
Patti Smith’s achievements include being the first female senior-rated barefoot waterski boat driver, winning 15 U.S. National Barefoot Championships. She also is the only woman who has driven in the World Barefoot Ski Championships when she did so in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia, and again in the 1990 championships in Jacksonville, Florida. She, along with her husband, co-founded the Barefoot Unlimited Ski School in 1980.
“Patti has served on the MBIA board for many years and is finishing her term as the MBIA chair,” Polan says. “Through her tenure and under her leadership, MBIA has thrived and she has been a tireless advocate for our association and industry.”
